Cardiac screening in athletes: benefits and potential challenges

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Preventive Cardiology

Background:

• Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes, though rare, is a significant concern.
• Exercise can trigger fatal events in athletes with undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions.
• Public attention is high due to the seemingly healthy nature of athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the benefits and challenges of pre-participation screening (PPS) for cardiac conditions in athletes.
• To explore the controversy surrounding screening protocols and their effectiveness.
• To discuss implications for athlete health and safe sports participation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and recommendations from international organizations.
• Analysis of the evidence supporting cardiac screening in athletes.
• Exploration of limitations, including false positives/negatives and ethical considerations.

Main Results:

• Screening may identify silent cardiovascular diseases in athletes.
• Screening protocols vary, and their optimal implementation remains debated.
• Challenges include interpretation difficulties, potential harm, and ethical issues like disqualification.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac screening in athletes offers potential benefits but faces significant challenges.
• Balancing the benefits, feasibility, cost, and potential harms of screening is crucial.
• Further discussion is needed to optimize strategies for protecting athlete health and ensuring safe sport participation.